


Love In Flames

by Lyonya_On_The_River_19



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Couvade syndrome, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Loads of Cuddling, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Illness, Past Child Abuse, Plot Twists, Pravik lives with Vasily, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sharing a Bed, Slow recovery, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:34:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25703668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyonya_On_The_River_19/pseuds/Lyonya_On_The_River_19
Summary: "The couples that are meant to be, are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart and come out even stronger."
Relationships: Vasily Ignatenko/Vladimir Pravik
Comments: 20
Kudos: 29





	1. Depression

Pravik was worried.  
Sure, his work was more hectic than usual with some of the reactor workers acting more stupid, getting themselves stuck on trees while they were drunk, and then calling the firefighters. But he was worried for another reason.  
One of his co-workers was acting weird.  
Vasily Ignatenko.  
The ray of sunshine that the team had always relied on to keep their morale up, was getting quieter and more depressed. He just wasn’t himself. He rarely went out nowadays and completely lost interest in all his hobbies. Pravik never did question Vasily about it, afraid of invading his privacy.  
But today would be different. Today Pravik would go to Vasily’s apartment and get to the bottom of his sudden melancholia. Not only because Vasily was his friend, but Pravik also loved him.  
As Pravik quickly climbed up the steps to Vasily’s apartment, he was filled with a sense of foreboding and urgency. He reached the residence and knocked on Vasily’s door.  
Silence.  
Pravik knocked louder and faster, a terrible sense of dread overwhelming him. After five minutes of constant knocking, Pravik gathered up all the strength inside him and slammed on the door. It fell open and Pravik rushed inside. He saw a trail of blood leading up to Vasily’s bedroom and followed it. When he opened the bedroom door (which was shockingly open) and shouted “Vasya!”  
But when his eyes laid upon his Vasily, he saw the most horrifying thing he had ever seen.


	2. Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The text with single inverted commas are thoughts  
> While the text with double inverted commas are said sentences

Pravik saw his Vasya lying on the ground, unconscious. There was a large kitchen knife, slathered with blood near him. His arms were slashed with big, red wounds exposing muscle that leaked copious amounts of blood. Pravik came near Vasily, sat down, and checked for a pulse. There was one, but it was weak and sluggish and Vasily’s breathing rate was low and the breaths that did come out were harsh and short.  
'Why did you do this to yourself, my Vaska'  
In desperation, Pravik quickly grabbed the telephone near Vasily’s bed-side and phoned up the hospital. It took him all his mental strength not to frantically yell at the hospital staff to come as soon as they could. While the ambulance came, he checked Vasily over for any other injuries. What he did see was that his skin was littered with various other small cuts on his arms.  
After 15 minutes of constant worrying and biting his lips, the paramedics came about and carried his Vasily down on a stretcher to the ambulance, while Pravik watched them like a hawk noting every single move. When the doctors asked him if he wanted to come along, he said yes without thinking. The ride to the hospital was surprisingly fast, like a blur.  
When they arrived at the hospital, a couple of nurses took Vasily into another room. Pravik gulped, trying to hold in his tears, unsure about Vasily’s condition or if he would even survive the night.  
'Vasily, please don’t leave me. I love you so much…'  
A nurse came up to him and asked him about Vasily’s name, medical history, date of birth, and occupation. After a few minutes, a doctor exited the same room in which Vasya was being kept and walked towards. Pravik quickly stood up and blurted out abruptly  
“Would he be alright? Tell me. Is there anything I can do for him?”  
The doctor, a gentle, old man, smiled at him and softly said “Well, son. Your friend is in a stable condition. But I’m afraid there are two pieces of bad news.”


	3. Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Sentences like these are flashbacks or memories-

TWO DAYS LATER…  
Pravik stroked Vasily’s soft, blackish-brown hair that contrasted slightly with his deathly pale skin as he sat near his bed-side. He was relieved that his Vasya was still alive, but worried that he still hadn’t woken up. The doctors had told him that he would have to wait a few days for Vasily to wake up. The dialysis machine quietly took out and filtered Vasily’s blood. Suddenly, Pravik felt something stirring underneath the hand that was stroking Vasya’s silky head of hair. He quickly took his hand off, expecting something to happen.  
Vasya opened his eyes.  
Pravik couldn’t believe what he saw. His heart beat faster and he felt overjoyed. He hugged Vasya tightly but carefully, his eyes brimming with happy tears and a lump in his throat. As he retreated back onto his chair, Vasily looked at him with an unreadable emotion as he softly murmured “Volodya...” Pravik smiled and said “Vaska. We were so worried about you. Me, Vitya Kibenok, and all the others. Why didn’t you tell us anything?” Vasily mumbled something in Belorussian and then asked, worriedly “How many days had I missed? Tell me honestly, Volodya, please” Pravik’s smile faltered as he remembered what Telyatnikov had told him.  
-On account of Vasily Ivanovich’s two conditions, we can’t allow him to serve this job. Volodya Pravik can you please tell him that he’s been retired…-  
Pravik bit his lip, again and again, unsure of how Vasily would react. He would definitely be upset since he loved the job and did it with full passion. Vasya noticed him biting his lips, looked at him with some alarm, and asked him innocently “Vova, is there something wrong?” Pravik looked at him with pain and sadness and said slowly, his throat steadily closing up, “Vaska, I have some..really bad news. You are going to have to retire.”  
Vasily looked at him like he had gone mad, started to laugh, and said shakily “You are joking right, Vladimir Pavlovich, right?” Vasily’s face fell as Pravik shook, which broke the latter’s heart deeply. But Vasya quickly put out a forced smile and said in a happy expression “Well, I think I’ll just leave Pripyat and go to Sperizh'e-“  
Pravik felt his heart break.  
‘Vasya, after everything we’ve gone through, I need you more than ever…’  
And suddenly Pravik blurted out.  
“You can stay with me!”


	4. Confessions

Pravik almost couldn’t hold in his exhilaration as the doctor wrote in the form. His great love, Vasily would soon live with him! After he and Vasya signed the document, the doctor in front of him stamped it to make it official. Pravik took the slip in his slightly shaking hands and said a polite ‘thank you’ to the doctor who sighed and said “Tomorrow at 11:45 AM, bring Mr. Ignatenko to Dr. Rogochev. He’ll have an hour-long appointment.”  
AT VASILY’S HOUSE…  
“Have you got everything, Vaska?”  
“Yeah.”  
Pravik waited patiently in his car for Vasily to come down from his former apartment. He felt a niggling sense of fear and dread and was about to get out of the Zhiguli, but then Vasily showed up with two suitcases and a rucksack. After he put all of the luggage in the back and sat in the front seat, quiet.   
Suddenly Vasily spoke up.   
“Why do you take care of me? Why did you offer to let me stay?”  
Pravik suddenly stopped the car, his heart beating fast. And though his mind forbid it, he blurted out.   
“It’s because I…I love you.”  
An awkward silence began to blossom in the car which Vasily broke by saying, surprised, “Are you also a homosexual, Volodya?” Pravik looked up, his face flushed, and nodded. Vasily stuttered “B-but it’s wrong. We aren’t supposed to be like-“ Pravik quickly cupped Vasily’s cheek and pulled him into a soft, but passionate and long, kiss.  
After a long time, kissing, Vasily pulled away, looking absolutely shocked and blushing violently. Pravik smiled gently and said, “Just because society hates our kind of love, doesn’t mean our love is wrong, my dear Vaska.” Vasily nodded quickly and turned away, silent and Pravik started the car, still dazed by what he did…  
And so they continued their trip in silence, the bright but subtle colors of the sunset casting the two early lovers in shades of gold, orange and red as they drove to Pravik’s house.  
Fifteen minutes later they reached Pravik’s apartment block and both disembarked, carrying Vasily’s luggage


	5. First Evening

After lugging up Vasily’s luggage and setting everything up, Pravik collapsed down on the sofa with a sigh of relief. He gently smiled as his love, Vasily, casually explored his new abode. After fifteen minutes of exploring, Vasya finally came into the living room looking a bit shy. Pravik beckoned him towards the couch he sat on and Vaska came rather coyly. When he did sit, Pravik discreetly put his right arm around Vasily and pulled him into a cuddle, nuzzling softly yet passionately. Vasya also seemed to enjoy it, threading his fingers through Pravik’s.  
‘Oh, my sweet, little Vasily. How much I had loved you? I would do anything for you.’  
Neither of them spoke, feeling that words would ruin the small bubble of bliss that was blossoming between them. Soft shades of purple, orange and deep maroon of the late evening came through the small balcony into the dimly-lit home.   
A few minutes later Pravik broke the cuddle up and chuckled softly when he saw Vasily’s mussed up hair. He gave him a short, but sweet, kiss on the nose and said tenderly.   
“Remember my darling, I will always be there for you, no matter what.”  
Vasily also grinned, but his eyes looked a bit sad and painful. Pravik hugged his Vasily one more time and went into the kitchen to cook their dinner.   
AFTER AN HOUR…  
Pravik set the table excitedly. He had prepared some traditional Ukrainian dishes such as solyanka, shashlik, and pampushka. Vasily came into the room, having changed into casual clothes. Pravik quickly gave some of the dishes to him, sat, and began to eat. He carefully watched Vasily who didn’t eat or touch his food.   
‘Does he like the food?’ Pravik quietly thought to himself, worry again rising in him. He remembered the old doctor’s words about Vasily’s abnormally low weight. Pravik sighed and said, anxious, “Vasya, do you like the food or not? Is there anything I can do?”  
Vasily looked at him with gloomy eyes (which broke Pravik’s heart), sighed, and said “No, no Volodya. The food is great! It’s just that I don’t have much nowadays.” Pravik dragged his chair next to his Vasya’s, took some of the pampushka, dipped it into the solyanka, and said, grinning “Will you eat it for my sake, my sweetheart?” Vasya’s face took on an amused look and he took the small bit of bread in Pravik’s hand and ate it. Thus, Pravik continued to feed him a smallish pampushka while kissing his precious love on the cheek intermittently.


	6. Troubled Night

THE NEXT DAY…  
Pravik rubbed Vasily’s back reassuringly as they both waited for the psychiatrist to call Vasya inside. He could see that his love was stressed up and wished that he could kiss and hug him openly.  
“Mr. Ignatenko! You can come in now!”  
Pravik slowly escorted Vasily to the door, where he bade farewell. Vasily looked at him with sad, pleading eyes as the door closed, which almost melted Pravik’s heart. But he knew that this was for Vasya’s own good. After the door closed, Pravik sighed and strolled around the hospital. Suddenly he bumped into someone.  
Leonid Telyatnikov.  
Pravik quickly straightened himself up and asked in a calm, but polite, voice “Comrade Telyatnikov! Why are you here?” Leonid looked a bit pale and weak, sighed, and said “Ahh, Comrade Pravik. You see, there was a small incident at the nuclear plant, a small fire. Nothing much. But I and some of the boys got a bit sick.” Pravik could hear faint retching sounds in the distance.  
Leonid then looked away and said something that shocked Pravik.  
“Volodya, I’m not going to be able to work now. The doctors said stomach cancer, 4th Stage. You will have the reins now. Take care of the boys.”  
Pravik felt his heart skip a beat or two as he tried to comprehend what his friend and boss had said. He put his hand on Telyatnikov’s shoulder and said kindly “Take care, Lenya. I promise that I would take good care of them” Leonid smiled and went away, his eyes twinkling.  
Pravik felt his heart drop as he sluggishly walked back to the psychiatry clinic. The entire regiment would be affected since Telyatnikov was everyone’s rock. When he reached the psychiatric clinic, the door was already open and Vasya stood outside, his beautiful face looking a bit down and holding a slip of paper. Pravik lightly beamed when he saw Vasily and took the prescription tenderly from his hand.  
IN THE NIGHT…  
After having their dinner, Pravik led Vasya to their new, shared bed. On one hand, Pravik was excited. Excited that he would sleep with the love of his life. Meanwhile, he was worried that he would have to break the bad news, that Leonid was dying. Vasily looked at him with worry as Pravik sighed and cupped his right cheek. Pravik took a deep breath and slowly said.  
“Vasya, Lenya Telyatnikov is...dying. He has cancer. He told me today. I’ll be the new head of the fire department.”  
Pravik felt his heart slowly shatter as he saw Vasily, his Vasily, slowly taking in the news. Vasya started to tremble violently, like a leaf in a storm, and sweat. Pravik tried to approach Vaska to hug and comfort him, but Vasily moved away. Pravik bit his lip and again tried to approach him, seriously concerned. Vasily started to scream, his face one of absolute horror.  
“Father, please don’t hit me! I promise I won’t do it again! Please!”  
Pravik quickly jumped into action, his mind fully alert. He hugged Vasily tightly and said soothingly “Vasya! Vasya! Focus on me and take deep breaths. Come on. Do it for me. Please.”  
‘My darling Vasily. I’m there for you, nobody is going to hurt you. I will make sure of that.’  
Vasily started to calm down, his breathing growing slower and slower. Pravik carefully kissed Vasily’s tender lips and then looked at his face. Two, hauntingly beautiful, brown eyes looked up at him. Vasily nuzzled against Pravik’s chest as he began to sob. The sobs grew in intensity like a summer thunderstorm and Pravik stroked his back, trying to comfort his precious Vasily. Finally, after some time, the sobs quietened down and became sniffles. Both of them laid down faces opposite each other. Pravik dried Vasya’s tears with his hand and snuggled next to him while Vasya lightly stroked the area behind Pravik’s ears. Vasily softly whispered a ‘sorry’ to Pravik who responded by pecking his nose and murmuring “Vasya, I understand. You don’t need to say sorry. Not at all. Maybe Lenya would survive. We don’t know yet.”  
Both of them fell asleep, peaceful, and safe in each other’s arms.


	7. Calm Before The Storm

THE NEXT MORNING….  
Pravik happily hummed to the small kitchen radio as he made his and Vasily’s breakfast. The soft colors of the early morning filtered into the lamp-lit room through the thin, lace curtains on the windows. Vasya looked at him silently, his eyes still a bit red from the crying that he did last night. After a few minutes, the buckwheat porridge was ready. Pravik gently poured the kasha into two bowls. He placed a bowl in front of Vasily and watched him eat it. It filled him with joy that Vasya was finally eating and he felt a glimmer of hope. After eating, Pravik pulled out the package of drugs from the pharmacy, took out two, brightly colored pills, filled a glass of water, and gave it to Vasily. Vaska eyed them disdainfully and took the tablets reluctantly. Still, Pravik grinned proudly and kissed Vasya on the lips.   
When both of them reached the fire station, the sun had risen fully and Pripyat had begun buzzing with life. After they arrived, some of the boys gathered around Vasily asking him questions about how he was, why he retired, and others. Pravik could feel Vasily’s discomfort and shyness as he tried to answer the multitude of queries. He was about to ask them to leave when suddenly a man slammed into Vasily and hugged him tightly.  
‘What the-?’  
It was Misha.  
The crowd cleared up as Misha let go of a very surprised Vasily and grinned brightly. For the squad, Misha was a ray of second sunshine who always told jokes and bumbled around. After the initial shock of seeing Misha literally run into his beloved had passed, Pravik cleared his throat and said in a loud, but authoritative, voice.  
“Comrades, I hate to inform you that Comrade Telyatnikov wouldn’t be working with us now and that I would take over his post.”  
The entire crew went silent. Even Misha’s smile fell. Pravik felt his head go a bit dizzy. Kibenok sighed as the men went back to their stations in silence, approached Pravik, and said in a hopeful tone “Volodya, is everything alright?” Pravik tugged at his lapels and shook his head. Kibenok laid his hand on Pravik’s shoulder and said, smiling “I think things would improve. You’ll do well, I’m sure of that. Lenya must’ ve- “  
Suddenly a retching and splattering sound came from the room that Misha had taken Vasily to. Pravik’s protective instincts came alive as he and Vitya ran towards the area. There they found Misha on the floor vomiting and clutching his stomach, while a terrified Vasya tried to help his sick friend. Kibenok helped Misha to stand and took him gently to the infirmary, whilst Pravik tried to comfort a whimpering Vasily and his ears rung with a single sentence from Telyatnikov.   
-“Take care of the boys”-


	8. Normalcy?

“It’s a phantom pregnancy. It’s nothing serious. I can give some anti-nausea drugs if the vomiting gets too serious or interferes in your normal life.”  
A sigh of relief escaped Pravik’s lips as heard the doctor’s diagnosis. Misha also smiled lightly and stood up with Vasya who was just nearby. As they exited the clinic, Misha walked on his own, grinning widely and telling jokes to Pravik who laughed at them. Vasya clung to him and at the reception area, tugged at Pravik’s arm and quietly said.  
“Can we go see Lenya, please. I wanna visit him”  
Pravik smiled softly and asked a nurse in the lobby where they would find a certain Leonid Telyatnikov. The nurse scanned her paper and directed them towards a room in the north-east side of Pripyat Hospital No 126. As they stood Pravik felt a bit nervous and felt Vasya squeeze his hand as they together opened the door.  
Leonid was lying on a bed and hooked up to two IV lines. He smiled at the duo when they entered and Pravik felt a warm feeling filling up his body. Vasya immediately ran to Leonid and hugged him tightly. Leonid was surprised for a moment but quickly hugged Vasily back. Pravik smiled and sat near them and Lenya released his Vaska.  
“So. How are you, Lenya? Any improvements?”  
Leonid sighed and said sadly “I think so. I had a partial gastrectomy, but the doctors say that since it’s spread I would have to have chemotherapy.” A pregnant silence spread in the recovery room as Pravik and Vasily slowly took in the news. Pravik felt his throat slowly close up as he saw Vasya’s eyes tear up and he said in an innocent, but unhappy, tone.  
“You’ll be alright, right Lenya?”  
Lenya grinned kindly, ruffled Vasily’s soft, brownish-black hair, and said “Of course, son. I’ll be alright and I’ll fight this cancer with all I’ve got. I promise you, Vasily Ivanovich.”  
After a few moments, a tired-looking nurse came into the room and told Pravik and Vasya that their time was up.  
IN THE CAR…  
Pravik drove back to their shared apartment. The strong, late afternoon sun shone down on the town. Children were coming home from school and people were out and about. Vasya was dozing off and Pravik smiled gently at him. When they arrived, he helped his sleepy love from the car to the apartment. When they reached the small house, Vasily’s head drooped and Pravik scooped him up, bridal style, and carried him over to their collective bedroom and laid him on the bed. As Pravik admired his love, a determined thought entered his mind.  
‘I promise you, Vaska, we’ll get through this. All of us.’


	9. Secrets Revealed

Pravik rattled on the bathroom door. He was worried and impatient. Vasya was in the small bathroom, alone and only God knew what he was doing.   
‘And I left him with my shaving razors! Shit, shit, shit, shit!’  
A horrifying image entered Pravik’s mind. Blood flowing out fresh, deep gashes on Vasya’s arms, staining the floor. His anti-depressants lay scattered around him. Vasya smiled at him and started to slowly slit his throat. Pravik tried to run towards him and scream to him to stop, but he was held in place by something and a red-colored hand clamped his mouth, muffling his scream…  
The bathroom door opened with a slow scrape, which snapped Pravik out of his twisted thoughts. Vasya quietly shuffled outside, his enchanting brown eyes having a small flicker of remorse and the sleeves of his shirt were pulled more towards the bottom. Pravik quickly figured out that the love of his life was hiding something and he said.  
“Vaska. There’s something I want to talk about. Can I see your arms, please?”  
Vasily’s face became colored by fear and he paled. He backed up against the wall and said defensively.  
“But why, Volodya?”  
Pravik bit his lips, stroked Vasya’s neck to help him calm down and relax. It worked. Slowly, but steadily, Vasya relaxed. Pravik then gradually rolled up Vasya’s sleeves and stared with shock at the pale, soft skin.  
Knife scars covered most of the delicate flesh, being a slightly light pinkish color. Then there were some more recent looking wounds, looking as though they were from today. Those weren’t scabbed, but a red, coagulated jelly of blood covered them. Pravik nudged Vasily a bit and pointed at the wounds. Vasya’s body tone suddenly changed, from relaxed and almost happy to terrified. Pravik hugged him, wanting to assure Vasya that both would brave this together.   
“Vasya, you know that you are my world. My everything. And I don’t wanna lose you. We’ll do this together. Okay? After all, that’s what lovers do.”  
Vasily burrowed into Pravik’s arms, and he let him. Both of them lost themselves in the moment. The telephone in Pravik’s room suddenly rang and the small bubble of comfort and love was broken. Pravik slowly walked towards the phone and picked it up.  
“Hello? Pravik speaking.”  
“Hi, Volodya. Can you come to my apartment? It’s urgent.”  
It was Misha.  
“Oh. Misha! What happened?”  
“Please just come. I’ll explain everything.”  
AT MISHA’S APARTMENT…  
Misha stood at the open front door, as Pravik and Vasily trudged the stairs. When the two reached he quickly ushered them inside. Pravik felt a sense of foreboding as Mikhail opened a cupboard and took out something. Misha set out a picture of a child and said in a trembling voice.  
“This is one of my childhood pictures.”  
While Vasya and Pravik nodded, Misha took out another picture, that of a young Telyatnikov playing with the exact same child.  
‘Oh, God.’  
Misha nodded guiltily.  
Vasya clutched Pravik’s arm.   
And Pravik felt dizzy, as waves of realization washed onto him.


	10. Unravel

As the trio walked towards the chemotherapy room, Pravik felt a chill run up his spine.  
They opened up the door and saw Lenya there, motionless with an IV line in one of the veins of his right arm. He smiled up to them in a tired way and said in a fatherly tone “Sit down.” Pravik could feel Misha suck in his breath as he sat down. Vasya fidgeted and there was a noticeable tension in the hospital room. Misha said softly to Leonid “Lenya we wanted to ask you something. Did you ever have a child?”  
Pravik could see Telyatnikov’s usually relaxed stance stiffen noticeably and he asked defensively “Why would you want to know that?” Misha shrugged and said quietly “We just want to know if that’s okay with you.” Lenya sighed and said “I had one. A son whose name was Mikhail. He looked just like you Misha, and I loved him.” Tears appeared in Lenya’s eyes. Vasya gently tried to pat the former firehouse chief’s back and Pravik said, a little hoarsely.  
“What happened to him? Did you lose him, Lenya?”  
Leonid gulped as he forced his words out of his mouth “Yes. I lost him at Novosibirsk, where I was posted. He just. Disappeared one day.” Pravik felt his heart clench when he heard Telyatnikov’s statement. He’d always assumed his friend was single and didn’t have any kids. Misha bit his lips as he handed Leonid the twin pictures and said in an almost emotionless voice “I lost my parent in Novosibirsk as well. I had a single father, whom I only barely remember.” Pravik could see Leonid’s face going through a myriad of feelings. He could see Vasya retreating into his hard, plastic chair, his face ghostly pale and like a mask. Lenya looked at Misha, then at the photos, and then back at Misha and said in an emotion-filled voice “Son?” Misha smiled tearfully and said happily “Dad!” He hugged Lenya tightly, and Leonid after some time also hugged him. Tears were flowing from his eyes.  
Pravik could hear Vasily shuffle uncomfortably and then go out of the room. He followed him and asked, “Where are you going, Honey?” Vasily covered his face with his hands and said in a tired voice “Can-can we please just go home? It’s been a long day.” Pravik could see his beau lightly pressing the bandages on his arms and he said softly.  
“Alright, Vasily.”

**Author's Note:**

> Made by me and Puffle Fuzz! (On Tumblr)


End file.
